This is the first submission of this application for 2 positions per year for a Medical Scientist Training Program by the Medical University of South Carolina. Funds made available as a result of this award will be used for enrichment of the program and enhancement of our recruitment efforts. The fiscal and philosophical commitment by the institution, the Colleges of Medicine and Graduate Studies will continue. The program was founded in 1980 and has steadily grown to its current size of 32 students. Simultaneous with the growth of the program has been a substantial growth of the research enterprise of the University as evidenced by a steady increase in extramural funding and building and space devoted to research. Simultaneous with the growth of the program has been a substantial growth of the research enterprise of the University as evidenced by a steady increase in extramural funding and by and buildings and space devoted to research. The goal of this program is to train clinician-scientists, who will become outstanding leaders in academic medicine. The program has a recruitment plan that incorporates a combination of personal letters to the highest performers on the MCAT in 12 states that include, Southeastern states, California, Illinois and New York; a recruitment brochure; a web page, an 800 number, advertisements in Science, aggressive recruitment of interviewees and successful recruitment of minority applicants. Trainees enter the program the summer before starting medical school and participate in a research rotation. They complete the first two years of medical school, enter into their graduate school years and conduct and complete their dissertation research and return to medical school to finish their clinical training. Between the first and second years of medical school they also conduct a research rotation. Key elements of the training program include; a strong training faculty with peer reviewed extramural funding, a significant training record with considerable expertise in cellular signalling, vascular, developmental and cancer biology and cardiovascular diseases, a monthly research seminar series, biannual business meetings, an annual student research day, invited outside visitors who serve as role models, an annual welcoming, invited outside visitors who serve as role models, an annual welcoming reception, sponsored attendance to present their research at national student oriented research meetings. The program also has a series of activities that expose the students to the principles and practice of clinical investigation, so that they will have significant training for a career that may include translational research. In summary, this training program's trainees have demonstrated that they have gained national recognition for their scientific achievements as demonstrated by receiving honors and awards for their research. PIs on NIH awards for their research and assuming faculty or training position t highly respected academic institutions.